There are many identity authentication scenarios in real life, for example, opening a door, signing for received goods, card payment, and obtaining permission to perform an operation. Although objectives of services initiating identity authentication in these scenarios are different, requirements for identity authentication effects are similar, for example, simple and efficient, and secure and reliable.
To achieve these effects, control points in an identity authentication process are generated, including: a network architecture, a network element device, a software algorithm, information management, a process, a regulation, role assignment, and the like. Even a simple identity authentication case like signing for received goods relates to multiple network elements, such as a buyer, a seller, a freighter, a courier, a consignee, an order, and physical goods. In the identity authentication process, there are various means of identity authentication used in these different application scenarios, such as a key, a password, a fingerprint, voice, an iris, a radio frequency access card, a signature, a seal, an identity card, cash, a bank card, and a cell phone.
In the foregoing different authentication scenarios, authentication rules, infrastructures, and participants are different. This causes much inconvenience to all parties participating in authentication, and system reconstruction. This is inefficient and cost-ineffective.